Don’t Spoil The ‘Breaking Dawn’ Trailer! And Other Lessons From The MTV Movie Awards

Posted 06/06/2011 1:56:10 pm
by MTV News.

By Nuzhat Naoreen

This was my first year working at the MTV Movie Awards, and it turned out to be quite the experience. From seeing stars like Kristen Stewart, Emma Watson and more on the red carpet, to riding around the Universal Studios lot in a golf cart, nearly every day brought something new. There were also plenty of lessons to be learned. While it’s fun to watch the awards as a viewer, there’s a TON of work that goes into making sure the show goes off without a hitch, and there are also a lot of important rules (and insider lingo) to keep in mind if you’re going to make it through the event. So, I decided to put together a Movie Awards survival guide for all those people aspiring to someday take part in this awesome event. Take notes!

1. Think Before You Socialize: When you’ve got the highly anticipated “Twilight” trailer in your office ahead of the world premiere, or insider info about Jim Carrey’s surprise green-screen suit, it’s hard to resist shooting out a tweet to let all your friends and followers in on the secret. But when it comes to the Movie Awards, discretion is important. Especially since one spoilery status update could ruin a surprise that people have worked on for months.
2. Golf Carts Rule the Road: Before I arrived at the Movie Awards location, I heard rumors about how people moved around the Universal lot on carts instead of cars (which wouldn’t be practical since the parking lot is kind of far), but no one ever told me how fun they were. I used the carts many times a day to go from our office (trailer, actually) near the Universal parking lot to the red-carpet area (about a mile away on a steep hill). Sure, they were kind of slow (15 mph was the max speed!), but I enjoyed it every time.

3. No Flip-Flops Allowed: When you’re at the Movie Awards, you can (sort of) get away with wearing flip-flops to work (it’s a pretty casual atmosphere), but if you want to step inside Gibson Amphitheater or the red carpet as it’s being built, you better have closed-toed shoes on. They take it seriously. The rule exists to protect people from getting hurt during construction.

4. Wear Black on Show Day: While it might seem like an obscure rule, there’s some solid reasoning behind it. Black is used to distinguish people working at the awards from the people attending them. (Trust me, this really helps when you’ve got a gazillion people on the red carpet and you can’t tell who belongs where). It also helps to keep the spotlight on the guests and their glamorous gowns rather than those working the event.

5. Craft Services: Before I worked on a production, I had NO idea what craft service was. Luckily, I learned quickly and it totally changed my life. It is essentially the non-stop plethora of snacks and goodies available when you’re working on a show like the Movie Awards. This year, we had a kitchen full of chips, chocolates and candies (along with some healthier options I never bothered to look at) and a chef, who made us fresh chili, enchiladas and more. Amazing, right?